The wait is over: The Wii U will debut two models in November starting at $299

When Nintendo first unveiled the Wii U at E3 2011, the industry sat up and took notice. Nintendo showed just enough to get our blood pumping, but withheld some of the most important details. It wasn’t surprising, but it generated what has arguably been the most asked question in gaming over the last 15 months: When will the Wii U be released, and how much will it cost?

Fast forward a year and change. Today Nintendo finally pulled back the curtain and answered those questions.

The Wii U will be released in North America on Sunday, November 18.

Nintendo will offer two versions of the system. The first will be called the “Basic Set,” and will contain the Wii U, Wii U gamepad, an AC adapter, and HDMI, 8GB storage, and Wii U Sensor bar. The console in this package will be white, and it will cost $299.

A “Deluxe Set” will also be released, and along with all of the items in the Basic Set, the Deluxe version will include 32GB storage, a stand for the Wii U, a gamepad cradle, and the game Nintendoland. The console itself will be black, and Nintendo President and COO, Reggie Fils-Amie, announced that players who purchase the Deluxe package will receive points for each digital download that can be later used to purchase items from the Nintendo e-shop. More details on that will be coming soon. The Deluxe Set will cost $349.

Fils-Amie also confirmed that the Wii U will be able to use the standard Wii remote controls and nunchucks, as well as most of the games and peripherals. Wii U branded devices will be available shortly, but it won’t require additional purchases for Wii users.

Check back with us all day for more news on the Wii U, including news of the apps the Wii U will support, launch titles, and more. But for now circle November 18 on the calendar, and prepare for the next stage of the console battles to begin.